Author's Note: This fic just slightly AU in terms of the little information about Z's childhood we were given in Sam part 2. It makes more sense to me that she was out on the streets earlier than 12. It also assumes that Danny Delgado from Wild Force is, in fact, her father. In the Power Rangers universe, there is no such thing as coincidence.
Inspiration: None
Point of View: Danny Delgado
Guilt
She has to know how guilty I feel.
If she'd seen the joy on Kendal's face when she first learned she was pregnant with her, she'd know how guilty I feel.
If she'd seen how nervous and excited and proud we (and the rest of our Ranger family) were when she reached her first year, she'd know how guilty I feel.
If she'd seen the grief on our faces and tears in our eyes as we carefully wrapped her in a blanket and left her by the shelter, she'd know how guilty I feel.
But what else could we have done?
Despite my Ranger training, and Kendal's acceptance of the very strange, neither of us knew how to deal with her. Elizabeth drove us crazy, duplicating herself whenever she didn't want to take a bath, or do something else we wanted her to do so we couldn't catch her. There were other things, too. And when she had accidentally displayed her power in front of the neighbors, they started talking, most of it things I wouldn't repeat. Their kids were just as hard on Elizabeth too. One time she came home in hysterics because the kids had called her names, and refused to let her play with them because she was a "freak".
It was hardly the best solution by far, but by that point, the both of us were stretched to our utter limits, and didn't know what else to do.
Maybe the taunting would hurt less if it came from people who didn't know her.
Maybe someone else could take care of our baby better than we could.
But even those thoughts don't take away from the guilt of missed birthdays, first dates, first kisses. Because even though she's being taken care of by someone else now, I'm still her father. We're still her parents.
She has to know how much we still think about her. How much we still love her.
She has to know how guilty I feel.